Tell Me
by Za Metallium
Summary: "You lost your place in line again, what a pity/You never seem to want to dance anymore." - from "Mary Jane" by Alanis Morissette


Tell Me

**Tell Me**   
by [Za Metallium][1]

  
"Mary Jane" is from Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill. Song lyrics are in _centered italics_.  
This is set directly after chapter #174, "Barrier of Earth."   


  


_What's the matter Mary Jane, you had a hard day   
As you place the don't disturb sign on the door_

Sango found her staring unseeing at the waterfall. Sango herself had come there to bathe, a habit she'd picked up from Kagome. 

"Kagome-chan?" Sango spoke softly, kneeling beside the girl. 

"S–sango-chan...when did you...?" Kagome obviously hadn't realised she was not alone. Her eyes were suspiciously bright to Sango's critical eye, as if tears were being kept back by an immense effort of will. 

"I've been here a few minutes," Sango answered. The events of three days before—Kagome's sadness, Inuyasha's uncharacteristically calm admission about Kikyou—flashed through Sango's mind. 

"Kagome-chan..." 

"Gomen nasai," Kagome said suddenly. "I...don't know what I'm doing here. I...I came to..." 

Kagome seemed to be forcing the words with great effort, her voice wavering so slightly that most wouldn't realise it. 

"You came to...?" Sango prompted gently after several moments of silence. 

"To say goodbye," was the whispered response. 

_You lost your place in line again, what a pity   
You never seem to want to dance anymore_

"Goodbye?" Sango repeated, shocked. 

"Yes...I'm not needed anymore. And...Inuyasha...I can't..." the girl trailed off, her eyes distant and pained. 

_Oh, Kagome-chan..._Sango thought, filled with sympathy. _Inuyasha's chosen that reanimated mockery over you, and you can't face him._

Kagome had been depressed after encounters with Kikyou before—Sango remembered her asking to ride on Kirara, and how she'd seemed to radiated sadness when she'd said she was sure she didn't want to go with Inuyasha. But never had Sango seen the usually optimistic girl so depressed. 

_It's a long way down on this roller coaster   
The last chance streetcar went off the track   
And you're on it_

Sango wasn't quite sure how to bring up the mess with Inuyasha, so she went for Kagome's other point. "Of course you're needed!" she insisted. 

Kagome just looked at her as if the youkai huntress had spoken a foreign language. 

Sango sighed in exasperation. "Do you think we stick around for Inuyasha's company—or sake?" 

Again with the blank stare. 

_Kami-sama, she does **not** think we—she does..._Sango realised. 

_I hear you're counting sheep again Mary Jane   
What's point of tryin' to dream anymore_

Looking at the blank-eyed girl, Sango noticed the dark circles ringing her eyes, then wondered how she missed them to begin with. 

"When was the last time you slept?" Sango demanded a bit sharply. 

"Eh?" Kagome seemed to snap out of her daze a bit. "A...few days ago?" she ventured. 

"Kagome-chan!" Sango scolded. 

"There just didn't seem to be any reason to..." Kagome whispered, so softly that Sango barely caught it. She mumbled something else, and all Sango caught was "dream," "point," and "can't." 

_I hear you're losing wait again Mary Jane   
Do you ever wonder who you're losing it for_

_**Damn** that shameless bastard!_ Sango screamed mentally. _He's turned sweet, bright Kagome-chan into this...this _shadow_ of herself! He's not worth it..._

_Well it's full speed baby in the wrong direction   
There's a few more bruises if that's the way   
You insist on heading_

"Kagome-chan, we need you." Taking a deep breath, Sango decided to get to the heart of the matter. "No one but Inuyasha trusts Kikyou in the least, or even wants her around. We need **you.**" 

Kagome stared at her friend with an unreadable expression, before saying, "If you really need me, I won't abandon you." There was no emotion in her voice. 

_Like kono—kono inukkoro abandoned you?_ Sango thought angrily, suddenly feeling Kouga's derogatory name for Inuyasha was perfect. 

"Do you really need me to stay?" Kagome asked, still without emotion. 

_Please be honest Mary Jane   
Are you happy   
Please don't censor your tears_

Sango knew—deep down **knew**—that if she said the word, her friend would stay, no matter how much it hurt the girl from another world. 

But as much as Kagome leaving would hurt the youkai huntress, seeing her trying to cope with the pain of being around Inuyasha would be much worse. If she was this upset with the dog boy no where in sight... 

"Kagome-chan," Sango said gently, putting a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, "It's okay to cry." 

Kagome stared at Sango another long moment before abruptly flinging herself into the other girls arms and sobbing. 

_You're the sweet crusader   
And you're on your way_

Kagome's crying wasn't noisy; perhaps she was afraid she'd be heard by a particular half-youkai, or perhaps she was too drained to be loud. Or perhaps some sorrow is more like a cold autumn drizzle than a flashy summer thunderstorm, and more chilling to the soul. 

Sango held the sobbing Kagome until the girl had shed all her tears, and merely trembled against the cold creeping deep throughout her being. 

_You're the last great innocent   
And that's why I love you_

_You would've stayed..._Sango again thought in amazement, absently stroking the smaller girl's hair. _It would've killed you, but you would've stayed. I hadn't thought such selflessness really existed..._

Sango's embrace tightened a bit as a rush of affection for the girl she held surged through her. 

_So take this moment Mary Jane and be selfish   
Worry not about the cars that go by_

"Daijoubu. You don't have to stay. I just hope you'll come back some day. But just this once, Kagome-chan...let yourself be selfish." 

Kagome lifted her head, teary eyes searching compassionate ones. "But. . ." 

Sango shook her head decisively. "Daijoubu," she repeated. "I'll tell the others good-bye for you." 

_All that matters Mary Jane is your freedom   
Keep warm my dear, keep dry_

Kagome stood, a bit shakily, and again met her friend's gaze. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Sango-chan," she said softly. 

Sango smiled in response, and Kagome attempted to return the gesture, though her expression came out more bittersweet than intended. 

Sango watched as her friend, her dearest friend, disappeared in the direction of the well. 

"Take care of yourself, Kagome-chan," Sango whispered. She stood and began to walk back to the village. 

After all, she had promised to say goodbye for her. 

_Tell me   
Tell me   
What's the matter Mary Jane. . . _

  


–end–

   [1]: mailto:ZaMetallium@aol.com



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